Medical professionals warned on Thursday that a sustained rise in requests to exempt children from routine immunisations could weaken Barbados’ long-established protection against vaccine-preventable diseases, as overseas misinformation increasingly shapes parental decisions.

The Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) confirmed that applications to opt out of the national immunisation schedule have increased annually over the past five years.

BAMP president Dr Lynda Williams expressed deep alarm over the rising trend, which medical experts attribute to a dangerous global tide of anti-vaccine sentiment transmitted largely through social media and foreign press coverage.